H Petersen1, T Seiler. 1. Augenklinik und Poliklinik, Universitätsklinikum Carl-Gustav-Carus, Technische Universität Dresden.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To quantify the incidence and type of complications after LASIK for the correction of myopia with special consideration to the time lapse after surgery and the possible consequences regarding high-contrast sensitivity and other modalities of visual acuity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between January 1995 and April 1997, 125 eyes of 88 patients with myopia greater than -6.0 D who could not wear contact lenses were operated on at our institute. In this prospective study the patients were examined consecutively preoperatively as well as postoperatively at day 4 and months 1, 3 and 6. The complications were divided into three groups (intraoperative, early postoperative and late postoperative). RESULTS: Our complication rate was 7.2% (loss of 2 lines of visual acuity)--with cutting artifacts related to the microkeratome, wrinkling of the flap and epthelial ingrowth. CONCLUSIONS: LASIK is a microsurgical procedure that requires adequate experience and the desire by the surgeon for self-evaluation. In spite of the good clinical results in the correction of high myopia the complication rates seems still to be too high. This should be the objective for further improvement primarily related to the microkeratomes.
PURPOSE: To quantify the incidence and type of complications after LASIK for the correction of myopia with special consideration to the time lapse after surgery and the possible consequences regarding high-contrast sensitivity and other modalities of visual acuity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between January 1995 and April 1997, 125 eyes of 88 patients with myopia greater than -6.0 D who could not wear contact lenses were operated on at our institute. In this prospective study the patients were examined consecutively preoperatively as well as postoperatively at day 4 and months 1, 3 and 6. The complications were divided into three groups (intraoperative, early postoperative and late postoperative). RESULTS: Our complication rate was 7.2% (loss of 2 lines of visual acuity)--with cutting artifacts related to the microkeratome, wrinkling of the flap and epthelial ingrowth. CONCLUSIONS: LASIK is a microsurgical procedure that requires adequate experience and the desire by the surgeon for self-evaluation. In spite of the good clinical results in the correction of high myopia the complication rates seems still to be too high. This should be the objective for further improvement primarily related to the microkeratomes.